Outback Graves Markers

William BOYNE (more)

Cause of Death:

Buried by T Moorland, manager, Ord River Station. Witnesses present at the burial were C Cook, J Wilson, W McKenna, Thomas Gollins, L Hutchinson, T O'Connor and W Thomas.

John Francis COLBERT (more)

Cause of Death: Coronary Sclerosis

He was buried by H Gibbs. Witnesses present at the burial were Norman Weiman, F Williams and J Hollander. Death was certified in writing by Police Constable John Frederick Bond (Regimental No.1468), Halls Creek. His headstone states his age at 71 years. It is believed that he was once a mining engineer and the father of film star, Claudette Colbert. Confirmation of this was given, it was said, when some years earlier he was seriously ill in Perth and he gave Claudette as his next of kin. She apparently confirmed that her father was in "mining in Australia".

John Colbert, a dapper, charming personality, turned an active brain to mining engineering in Victoria in the latter years of the last century. His studies later took him to America, where he graduated from Montana Mining school, worked on many of the States' notoriously rich mineral fields and ... eventually married. One year later he quit
America and went to Paris, where a child was born.  Her name was Daphne Colbert.
Two and a half years after the birth of the little girl, John Colbert and his wife parted. They never saw each other again.  Neither had John Colbert since set eyes on the daughter he was certain was CLAUDETTE COLBERT, the Hollywood actress known the world over.
John Colbert, on leaving France, came back to Australia and after sharing the fortunes and misfortunes of the mining market, he headed north for the cattle country round Wyndham.
Mr Colbert, speaking to the Sunday Times newspaper, said, "About four years ago I was ill in the St. John of God Hospital, and I sent a cable to Hollywood. CLAUDETTE answered and said her father was an Australian mining man. When I went back north, I wrote her and I got a reply confirming what she said in her cable. She was vague
about everything, but she was certain about her father being a mining man and an Australian."
Whether his only wife married again, Mr. Colbert, of course, could not say as he had heard nothing from her since he left France. It was likely, he thought, however, that she and the baby went back to America. He wanted his wife to come to Australia and she refused. He could not persuade her to return to Australia with him so he went without her and without his child.

—?— DAM (more)

Cause of Death: Unknown

Informant Joseph Egan, manager, Ord River Station. Buried by CB Llewellyn. Witnesses present at the burial were CF Llewellyn and E Somerville. Note: Thought to be same person as Ref 0062 Sam Lee.

Andrew Edward GIFFNEY (more)

Cause of Death: Scurvy

Known as Andy: He was the first white man to leave his bones in the East Kimberley. Andy was one of the drovers pioneering the north west station country. A site for a homestead was picked at a bend on the Forrest River (now Forrest Creek) about two miles up from its junction with the Ord River. Andy Giffney became sick with scurvy and died about a week after the station was formed.

William JOHNSTONE (more)

Cause of Death: Broken Pelvis and Peritonitis

Buried by A Lloyd. Witnesses present at the burial were Douglas Moore, store-keeper on Ord River Station, A Seaton and H Arthur. His estate was valued at £4.

Sam LEE (more)

Cause of Death: Natural Causes

Thought to be the same person as REF: 0058 Dam who died 23/4/1929. Informant was Joseph Egan, manager of Order River Station. Buried by CB Llewellyn. Witnesses present at the burial were CF Llewellyn and E Somerville.

William MADDEN (more)

Cause of Death: General Debility

Informant M McDonagh, AIM (Australian Inland Mission) sister, Halls Creek Buried by Joe Egan in witness of H Loder.

Duncan James MCCAULEY (more)

Cause of Death: Speared by Natives

Buried by John Hans Jurgonsly. Witnesses present at the burial were J Darcy and E Barber. His dying wish was to be buried alongside his mate Francis Tudor Shadforth.

Bernard MCGRATH (more)

Cause of Death: Senility

Buried by Joseph Egan. Witnesses present at the burial were Norman Weiman and Milton Willick. Death certified in writing by H Gibbs, Ord River Station. (REFER DAM / DAN (details are the same) & CJ McCABE.)

Kate Emma MOORE (more)

Cause of Death: Malaria

Birth registered as "Kate Emma". Buried by Arthur Lloyd and T Gollins. Death certified in writing by WD Moore, son, Ord River Station. A huge slab of stone was hand carved by Doug Moore to mark the last resting place of his mother. He was storekeeper, book-keeper, gardener and assistant­ manager between the years of 1900-1914 at the Ord. Her children wre described as being of genteel breeding and very pleasant company.

Charles Henry PITE (more)

Cause of Death: Plane Crash

The deceased was buried by Joseph Egan and Police Constable AC Moray (Roman Catholic) in witness of Angus L McPhail, book-keeper, Ord River Station.

Pite died of injuries received in an aeroplane crash. About 60 years after he perished, his sister, Mrs Hickey, and her children placed on his grave a headstone which they had brought from Sydney.

Apparently, Pite came to the North West to join his uncle, Richard Macale, at Bow River, but things did not work out. He was working for the Quiltys at the time of his death.

According to Halls Creek historian Derek Keene (now deceased), whilst working at Bedford Downs Station, Pite received advice by telegram that his father was dying in NSW. Pite drove to Halls Creek to catch an aeroplane to begin the journey down to see his father. Apparently he and several others boarded a plane at Halls Creek, but on take off it failed to clear the fence at the end of the runway and crashed. All passengers survived the crash. Later that day, a small mail plane landed, but with only one spare seat, the other passengers allowed Pite to take the seat, so as to get to his dying father. Tragically, the plane crashed at Ord River Station, killing both Pite and the pilot.

Charles Henry Pite was the third of six children in the family.  Their parents were married in Sydney in 1898.  Charles' siblings were: Dorothy Adelaide born 1 October 1898; Walter Anthony born 1904; Marie Imelda born 1908; Isobel Angela born 1910; Cecilia Honoria born 7 September 1913.  Adelaide Josephine was born 18 August 1876 in Queensland.  She died 27 February 1944 in Petersham, New South Wales.  Her husband was born 1870 in Sydney and died in Albury, New South Wales in 1855.

William Thomas SELLAN (more)

Cause of Death: Syphilis

Informant George Burke, mail driver, Wyndham Buried by George Burke and Jim White.

Theodore Tudor SHADFORTH (more)

Cause of Death: Speared by Natives

The informant of the death was S.H.E. Leigh, manager, Ord River Station.

Shadforth's last words to his mate, Duncan McCauley, with whom he was out mustering at the time, were "see you anon".

His death certificate gave his occupation as 'packer'. His body was carried 40 miles on horse back to the homestead, by his mate Duncan McCauley. Duncan died 30 years later and his dying wish was to be buried at The Ord alongside his mate.

Shadforth worked as a stockman for the Duracks on Argyle and had decided on a change of stations. He had been warned of the danger of riding too close to the paperbarks when mustering along the Osmond River as the Aboriginals were notorious for running alongside the mustering stockmen, dodging amongst the trees and hurling insults and spears. He rode across the river but another native jumped up from tall grass and speared him. The spear travelled clean through his arm and into his side. He died as a result of the spearing.

Shadforth was one of a family of eleven, with six brothers and four sisters.  His mother was born in Plymouth, England, in 1839; his father in Parramatta in 1831.  The couple took their family to Queensland some time between 1778 and 1880, where their last two children were born.  Sadly, Louisa died on 4 May 1888 in Queensland when she accidentally drowned in the Gregory River.

He was a pioneer of Lilydale on the Gregory River, Burketown.  The family, having overlanded to the north of Australia, Tudor, the second son, was one of those who joined in the mad gold rush to Halls Creek in 1886.

Norman Bourke WELMAN (more)

Cause of Death:

Buried by Cecil Watts, the last burial in this cemetery. A metal plaque on a cross was erected on his grave by his Kimberley friends.